


Foiled Plans

by iloveyoursmile



Series: Spy AU [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, M/M, spy AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-20 05:18:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17616245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveyoursmile/pseuds/iloveyoursmile
Summary: When Alec meets Magnus during a supposedly 'routine' night out for work it sets in motion a series of events in which they some how manage to fall in love and defeat a bad guy...maybe.





	Foiled Plans

**Author's Note:**

> So...it's been a hot minute since I've posted anything, and like. Life's a bitch y'all. I'm 99.999% sure that I'm going to run out of time for this but I already have the whole thing laid out, plus it's sequel and four chapters written, so. What the hell.

 

Alec isn’t looking forward to tonight at all as he gears up inside the cramped van with Raj and Hodge. He wishes again that Jace would magically appear and he can take his usual spot behind the scenes, but the probability of that happening was zero.

Tucking a spare knife into his boot, Alec turned to Hodge for the final review.

“Remember, this is just perfunctory, he’s an important player with the Forsaken’s gang, their activity has been up ever since Malachi was elected as a congressman for their district. They’re planning something big, and if we get Malachi to give us what we need then we have an in. We just need him to admit to being in contact with the local gang, then we can take it from there if you think he knows more. Your approach is simple, repeat it back to me,” Hodge instructed, fiddling with the comm in Alec’s cufflinks.

“I compliment him on the decrees in crime in his district, ask him what he’s been doing,” Alec said, “After he gives me the patented answer, I prod a little more, open myself up as a potential slimy government official. When he takes the bait, I decided whether or not to ask more questions. If I do decide to go further I inquire about day to day operations, how those work, see if I can make him let slip the main location of operations.”

“Good, now, remember, you have a camera in your button, but we’ll leave that off until you get in and see the target, it doesn’t have a lot of battery, and you have your ear piece and your mike, just talk into your hand if you need to speak to us. Code word is ‘rattlesnake’ okay?” Hodge explained.

“Hodge, I know what I’m doing, just because I let Jace do these things, doesn’t mean I haven’t spent the past eighteen years training for undercover operations,” Alec grumbled, a little annoyed, but still touched at Hodge’s concern, he was after all, the only man he had ever considered a father.

“I know, just making sure,” Hodge says, smiling at Alec.

“You’re all set to go on the comms, Alec” Raj tells them, swinging around in his chair to face them.

“Sweet, thanks, Raj,” Alec said, before straightening his jacket one more time, “Alright, I’ll see you at the rendezvous point?”

            Hodge nodded, and with that confirmation Alec stepped out of the van into the cool D.C. air. He walks a little bit until he reaches the venue, a high-end hotel. Reaching the door, Alec hands his invitation to the doorman and, after he’s cleared, he steps into the ballroom.  

He quickly does a perfunctory perimeter sweep. The room is swirling with the elite of D.C., young women in long, elegant dresses, with gems sparkling, men in black tuxedos with expensive watches and well shined shoes on the dance floor. Surrounding the dance floor are groups of old, wealthy, men and women talking to one another, no doubt gossiping. The bar is over against a wall, and the bartended is serving drinks at an alarming rate, even as servers move around guests with trays piled high with food and drink. Pressing his fingers to his ear he talks quietly into his hand, “I’m in, all clear for now,” before he straightens and moves further into the room.

“Good, try and get eyes on the target, in and out,” Hodges voice sounds in his ear.

Alec puts his hand back on his ear, and talks into his wrist, “Affirmative,” he scans the room, before he spots the target, the target is talking to another man with his back to him across the room, towards the bar, Alec starts to make his way towards him, “Eyes on the target, preparing to make contact.”

“Alright, be careful, remember, subtly is key,” Hodge reminds him.

“And turn on you button camera, I want to see if it works,” Raj’s voice sounds through the piece. Alec moves his hand to the button on his suit jacket. “Awesome, wow, that’s a fancy dress,” Raj says, which Alec takes as confirmation the button works.

As Alec winds his way through guests, never taking his eyes off the target, the man talking to him turns just at the right time for Alec to catch sight of his face.

Alec’s first thought is _shit_ for three reasons, one, the man is insanely attractive, and two because that man is _Magnus Bane_ , he would be on the Top Ten Spies in the world if such a list existed. (Which it might, but that information is confidential.) Thirdly, Bane was a known spy for the Downworld Association, or the DA, and, if the international spy community was high school, then the DA was the bitter rivals to The Clave.

 “Shit,” he said out loud, and a few fancy old ladies turned to look at him disapprovingly. Alec moved quickly into an alcove to the side. “Did you guys see that?” he asked into his earpiece.

“What? What happened?” Hodge asks.

“Magnus Bane is here, talking to the target.”

“Damnit,” Hodge muttered, “Get him out of there, Alec, I don’t care how you do it, just get him away from the target. We can approach the target a separate time, Jace can do it if you have to blow your cover.”

“Why?” Alec asked, peeking out, Magnus was still talking to the target.

“Because his agency can’t get this information, if they get it we can’t, and we’ll be a step behind the Downworld Association! We’ve been tracking this cartel for a year and a half, we can’t let them swipe another success,” Hodge snapped.

“Okay, okay, Jesus. I’m going in,” Alec said, and he stepped away from alcove and approached the two men.

Alec pasted a fake, and vapid smile on his face, and his most Jace-like walk as he approached the two men. When he reached them he grasped Magnus’ arm, looping his through.

“Mon amour, il faut que tu goûtes le vin qu'ils servent ici. C'est le parfait assemblage, tu vas l'adorer.” he said, and without waiting, or even acknowledging the other man, Alec began to pull Magnus away.

“Excuse me a moment,” Magnus said in English to the target, before turning to Alec and speaking in rapid French, “Que faites-vous? Et qui êtes-vous?”

“I’m sorry, I was saving you from a dreadfully boring conversation, Mr. Malachi, as attractive as he might be, is as dull as a doorknob,” Alec said, smiling flirtatiously, and, taking a leaf out of Jace’s book, threw caution to the wind and drew his eyes up Magnus’ body and drawled, “I’m much better company.”

Magnus smiled slowly, “Oh, well in that case, I guess I’ll let you rescue me. Would you care for a drink, pretty boy?”

Alec’s cheeks flushed, shit. He should’ve thought that plan through past the first two seconds. He wasn’t actually been prepared to entertain Magnus. What had he gotten himself into? And, more importantly, how was he going to get himself out?

“Keep him occupied, Alec,” Hodge said in his ear. Easy for him to say.

“Uh, sure.”

“What’s your name?” Magnus asked as he led the way towards the bar.

“Alec...and yours?”

“Magnus, now what would you like to drink? That wine that you recommended perhaps?” Magnus suggested, a smirk taking over his mouth.

“Oh, um...I didn’t actually have a wine….you just looked like someone who liked wine...so,” Alec mumbled, his confident façade dropping as his blush rose to his cheeks. He sat on the barstool next to Magnus.

Magnus chuckled, “I thought so, that’s alright, as it happens I do drink wine, so I know a thing or two.”

Alec leaned on the table and let Magnus talk to the bartender. Two wine glasses are placed in front of them and Alec reaches for one, taking a long sip.

“So, Alec, is that short for Alexander?” Magnus asks, taking a much smaller sip of wine.

“Uh, yes, it is, but nobody really calls me that,” he says.

“Well, you’ll find I’m not just anybody. Now, what brings a handsome man like yourself here on a night like tonight?”

“I could ask the same thing of you,” Alec says, trying to sidestep the question.

“Oh, but I asked first, didn’t I?” Magnus replies, a smirk twisting his lips.

“I suppose you did, and I’m sure my answer is very similar to yours,” Alec said. Jesus, this conversation was exhausting. Alec had always preferred long distance to up close and personal missions, why did Jace have to be sick, today of all days?

“Well, you should tell me your answer, and we’ll see,” Magnus said. Goddamnit he was good at this.

Alec sighed, and gave in, “I’m here for work related reasons, or I was.”

“You were? What happened?” Magnus asked.

Alec shrugged, “Nothing important, why are you here?”

“Mm, like you said similar reasons, although my work was also foiled. But that doesn’t matter now. Tell me about yourself, Alexander.”

“Well, only if you agree to tell me about you,” Alec said. He isn’t sure he’s ever been this smooth in his life, but maybe all that time waiting and watching Jace has paid off.

“A deals a deal, now, what is your favorite color?” Magnus said, smiling brightly.

Alec is taken aback for a moment, for a spy Magnus seems to be very open with his expressions, but Alec can just see a little bit past what his eyes are saying, to the guarded look that’s behind his smile.

Blinking back to the present, Alec answers, “Black.”

“But black isn’t a real color,” Magnus protests.

“While technically speaking black isn’t a color, by definition black absorbs all other colors, so I consider it a color,” Alec states. He has heard that argument one to many times from Isabelle to let it go so easily.

Magnus lets out a startled laugh, and Alec foolishly thinks that he wants that sound on repeat. He has to remind himself that this is temporary, whatever it is, Magnus is an assignment, Alec is following orders right now, he has to remember that.

“Well, that’s certainly a well phrased argument,” Magnus says.

“What’s your favorite color, as long as we’re on the subject?”

“Mm, I don’t know, I’m partial to them all, it depends on my mood, for instance, right now I’m partial to this beautiful shade of hazel…” Magnus said.

Alec felt the color flood to his cheeks, and he looked away, across the room. Magnus is an assignment, he reminds himself again.

They talk until they finish their drinks, Alec scans the room for Mr. Malachi and when he sees that he has disappeared he feels disappointment curl in his gut when he should’ve felt relief. The target being gone means that Alec has successfully distracted Magnus. It also means, however, that Alec is expected to leave, and will probably never see Magnus again.

“Well, it seems I must be off,” Magnus says, as he checks his watch, “Walk me out, will you?”

“Sure,” Alec said, and got up, startling a little as Magnus looped an arm through his.

The walk was silent, until they were waiting for the valet to bring Magnus’ car around.

“It was nice to meet you, Alexander,” Magnus said, candidly.

“I…” Alec considered his options for a moment, he could push it further…a relationship might prove useful, or he could leave it as it was. “It was nice to meet you, too, Magnus.”

“Perhaps, another time, when we are not both working, we might…talk…” Magnus suggested, a small smile gracing his lips, “Alexander Lightwood.”

Alec couldn’t even be surprised that Magnus knew who he was, this was Magnus Bane they were talking about. Still, that meant he couldn’t hold the cover he wanted. Magnus started to back away, and Alec smiled, he wasn’t about to let Magnus one up him.

“That would be ideal, Magnus Bane.”

A flicker of amusement, tinged with something else, flitted across Magnus’ face, but was gone as soon as it had come. Without waiting for a response, Alec turned and walked away.

 

When he got to the rendezvous point Hodge is waiting for him in a non-descript car. Alec pulled the door open and dropped into the seat.

“Raj head back to headquarters?” He asked, buckling his seatbelt.

“Yeah, he had to get the equipment back ASAP, and then he said he was going to start on the report,” Hodge told him, pulling out into the street.

“Well, that was a waste of time,” Alec grumbled, reaching into the glove box to pull out his phone. He scrolled through his messages, a couple of texts from Isabelle, one from Jace, an email notification from his mother, probably about work, as she was his supervisor and usually called about family matters, email was strictly professional. He sighed heavily, it had been a long night, and he had another mission to prepare for, plus he needed to write up a report about this one, and whatever else his mother wanted.

“Not necessarily, Bane seemed interested, there’s no telling what a relationship with someone as high up in the DA could give you,” Hodge said.

Alec turned to look at him, “You want me to pursue a relationship with him because he might let something slip about the Downworld?”

Hodge shrugged, “I didn’t say that, and I doubt he be so obvious about it, but maybe consider the fact you might be in a position to gain information about their plans.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Alec snorted, “This is Magnus Bane we’re talking about. There’s no way he’d be interested in me, like that, firstly, secondly, if he was that loose lipped he wouldn’t be where he is today.”

“Maybe you’re right about the second part,” Hodge admitted. “But, I don’t think you can claim he’s not interested in you from that conversation you two just had. He sounded pretty interested, looked it too.”

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter,” Alec dismissed.

“It does if it makes you happy, Alec. Just because your parents have a very specific future planned out for you doesn’t mean you have to follow it.”

Alec tensed further, and glared out the window, “It doesn’t matter, Hodge,” he repeated firmly, “Just let it go.”

“Okay, Alec, okay,” Hodge relented, and they continued the drive in silence.

Alec grabs his phone and opens his messages, just a few notes from Isabelle about her night, and an apology from Jace for missing the mission. Alec texts them back that he’ll be back in the office in a few hours and opens the email from his mother. It’s a fairly innocuous work email, outlining the parameters of his and Jace’s next mission in the coming weeks. It would only be the two of them, in Prague. The mission was supposed to be a quick information gathering and then cleaning from a high-ranking gang member with ties to a political family. The set up for the meet is in an abandoned office building. Alec had sent her the outlines for the mission already, but apparently, she had some adjustments to make.

Rolling his eyes, Alec emails her back and tells her he’ll review and revise in time for her to give final approval before the next night. He pulls out his laptop from behind the passenger seat and starts to write up his report. The Clave isn’t going to be happy when they realize Alec wasn’t able to get any information from Malachi, even less happy when they realize the DA is on the trail.

It only takes them a few hours to reach headquarters and after Hodge parks Alec climbs out, grabbing his stuff, and heads for the elevator. It’s late, but Alec knows his mother will expect a full report by eight o’clock the next morning, and he always focuses better at his desk than at home.

After separating from Hodge, he rides the elevator up to the eighth floor and takes off his coat to hang on the back of the chair. Cracking his neck he settles in to finish the report. He tries, perhaps in vain, to skim over the parts with Magnus, try to twist it to seem less…flirtatious, even though he knows the full account will be given to his mother from Raj, who will type up the transcripts and hand them in along with his report. Still, if he makes it seem less important, give it a more professional context, maybe she won’t get angry about it.

Although Maryse knows his sexuality, the whole agency for that matter, it doesn’t stop her trying to hide it, or make it go away. She makes a point to set up dates with girls, as if he might change his mind if the girl is beautiful enough. The only other relationship he’s had with a man ended badly.

Not only was Lucas a man, but he was outside the spy world. He was a normal guy, living in New York City, scraping by, by bartending as he pursued a writing career. He was perfectly normal, and Alec had loved every minute they had spent together. It was an experience he wouldn’t forget.

Alec had grown up in the spy world, with Isabelle and Jace, groomed from the minute they were born (or adopted in Jace’s case) to follow in their parent’s footsteps. For the first time Alec experienced what life outside the spy world was like, it was something that had been almost impossible to leave. Addicting in a way he had never thought it could be.

 But, it was a fantasy, a spy like him simply didn’t date or continue relationships outside of the spy community. He had never been able to tell Lucas exactly what he did, not that Lucas minded, but Alec…hated the lying, lying about where he was going, what he was doing, it was exhausting keeping Lucas a second life. It was almost like an assignment. But it wasn’t the lying that had ended it, the relationship ended when a bullet meant for Alec had torn threw Lucas’ head, killing him instantly.

It had been the daughter of an old target, out for revenge against the man that had killed her father, and Alec, desperate to get back to the bubble that he and Lucas had created, hadn’t been careful enough in covering his tracks. After that, Alec had made it a point to not get to attached to anybody besides his siblings, and Maryse had made it a point to show that dating outside of their lifestyle just wasn’t an option. Like he would think to do that again, after Lucas Alec swore he wouldn’t date anybody from the outside world, it was too dangerous.

It was only an hour and a half later that Alec finished the report, he printed it, stack it with the other meaningful documents from the case, clipped them together and put them in a manila folder, which he dropped in his mother’s inbox. She’d find it in the morning. Stretching his arms over his head, he grabbed his coat, logged off his computer, gathered some files and headed out into the street.

The night was a little on the cool side for mid-March, but Alec breathed in the polluted air of New York City and felt at home. There wasn’t much difference to D.C. and New York to the untrained eye, but to Alec, who had lived in New York City his whole life, the differences were glaring. The people walked differently than those in D.C. and the air was tinged with less desperate, snobby, politicians and more uptight business men, with a hint of starving artist. It was a subtle difference to many, but to Alec, it had never been more apparent.

He started the long walk home, he supposed he could’ve just taken the subway, but Alec liked the walk, it gave him time to unwind after a long day, and a long day it had been. When Alec reached his apartment, he headed up the stairs, and pushed his key into the lock. Swinging the door open he disabled the alarm system and threw his bag next to the couch, unsurprised to see Jace sleeping on it. It wasn’t unusual to find one of his siblings in his home, especially after a mission where neither his sister nor his brother/partner accompanied him.

He nudged Jace’s shoulder to wake him before heading into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. He hadn’t eaten since lunch, and that wasn’t anything substantial, just a power bar and an apple.

“Alec?” Jace grumbled, groggily.

“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen, how’re you feeling?” he asks, as he starts to assemble a sandwich.

“I’m okay, the worst of its passed, Izzy said it was just a twenty-four-hour bug, but still, it kicked my ass. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow, but don’t expect much.”

Alec moved to the couch with his sandwich and a beer, “I never do,” he quipped as he settled in next to Jace.

“Ha, ha,” Jace deadpanned, “How was the mission? I’m sorry I had to bail on you.”

Alec shrugged, and swallowed a bite before answering, “It was a bust, when I got there Magnus Bane was talking to the target, so I had to stop that from happening, because apparently, we’re having a turf war with the DA again, and it doesn’t matter that we’re wasting time—” Alec cuts himself off before he can really get started, “Anyway, I had to intercept and distract Bane until Malachi left.”

“Magnus Bane, huh? I’ve heard some…non-spy related rumors about him,” Jace commented, “How was it?”

“Honestly? Weird, he was….not what you would expect from what the Clave knows about him…he’s…” Alec trailed off.

“Insanely attractive?” Jace finishes, snorting, “Come on, man, I know you’re thinking it.”

Alec feels his face heat up, and he hits Jace’s shoulder, “Yeah, so what?”

“Did you hit on him?” Jace asks, curiously, and Alec can already see the teasing curve to Jace’s smile.

“I mean…I sort of had to think fast to get him away from the target so I…took a leaf out of your book,” Alec said, sinking a little deeper into the couch cushions and taking a vigorous bite of his sandwich.

Jace’s teasing smile grew in to a full on smirk, “What’d you do, Alec? Come on, it can’t be that bad, my book is a work of art.”

Alec sighed heavily, “I dragged him away, pretending to be his boyfriend, and then pretended to have been saving him from a boring conversation.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Jace laughed, “Man, that’s not even that bad, did he fall for it?”

“I mean, I thought he did, but when we parted ways, he said my whole name, told me it was nice to meet me and that he’d like to see me again.”

Jace clapped him on the shoulder, “Nice going man, are you going to?”

“I don’t think so,” Alec told him, finishing his sandwich, and taking a long pull of his beer.

“Why not? You sound like you like him.”

“It’s…not that easy, what with him being a part of the DA, and you know everything with mom…” Alec said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Alec,” Jace said, “Come on, don’t let the whole rivalry thing dictate your life, and mom…she’ll have to come around, and hey, maybe if you date him long enough she’ll see—”

Alec shook his head, “She won’t, I though the same thing about…about Lucas, and it didn’t matter, she found so many things to be unhappy about. You name it, she said it. He was a boy, she’d never get ‘proper’ grandchildren, I don’t know how she could say that, when she adopted you, you’re her favorite child. Don’t even get me started on the fact he was a ‘mundane’ as she so eloquently put it.”

Jace was silent for a minute, “Alec, I know everything that happened with Lucas was hard…but it wasn’t your fault, that woman…she was angry and she would’ve killed anyone she perceived to have had something to do with her father’s death, Lucas…was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Yeah, because of me, Jace,” Alec said, “But…I get what you’re saying, I know I can’t spend my life blaming myself, it’s just…” Alec’s voice dwindled, he took another sip of his beer.

Jace threw an arm around his shoulder, “I get that…it’s easier to just…ignore everything and focus on the job, but I think this could be good for you, you know? Maybe…do something for yourself, make yourself happy. You don’t have to stay on the path that mom and dad laid out for you, you’re _allowed_ to be happy, Alec.” Jace squeezed his shoulders, and stood up, “I gotta go back to my apartment, I need to sleep on a real bed, but Izzy thought someone should make sure you got home safe, and at a reasonable hour and she had a date that she ‘couldn’t miss if the world was on fire.’ So, here I am, and since you are home, and safe, I gotta get back.”

Alec nodded, “Thanks for coming by, I’ll see you tomorrow, at work? Mom wants us to make a few revisions to the plan for the next mission, in Prague.”

“Of course, she does, I’ll see you then, goodnight,” Jace grabbed his jacket and headed out the door and started to a door a few doors down from Alec’s.

“Goodnight,” Alec called back, before he sank back into the couch. It was two in the morning, and he had to get up for work in the morning. Sighing, he hauled himself off the couch, and went into the kitchen to pack a lunch for the next day and set out his stuff.

Once all of that was done, clothes laid out, coffee timer set and shoes by his bag and keys, Alec changed, brushed his teeth and got in bed.

Closing his eyes Hodge’s and Jace’s words floated in his brain…

_There’s no telling what a relationship with someone as high up in the DA could give you…_

_You’re_ allowed _to be happy, Alec…_

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be back sometime next week with the next chapter. Comments and kudos appreciated. Love you all.


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